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Red tapism delays plot allotment for WTC

NURUL ALAM
Despite hectic lobbying with the higher echelon of the government Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industries (CCCI), the apex trade body Of the country's main port city, is yet to secure the allotment of the additional plot of land to initiate construction of the World Trade Centre (WTC) at Agrabad commercial area.
Talking to The Daily Star CCCI president Farid Ahmed Chowdhury said bureaucratic tangles had delayed to secure the additional plot of 1.02 bighas of land at a nominal price at the site owned by Bangladesh railway.
"But we hope to get the land shortly as our local ministers also gave assurance in this regard. So we are expecting to start the construction of WTC on a land of about
four bighas by July this year," CCCI president said.
He said rest of the land required for installation of WTC were already allotted during the last tenure of BNP government and the Prime Minister Khaleda Zia ceremonially laid the foundation stone Of WTC in 1995.
But after the foundation laying function the project of WTC could not see any headway as the additional plot of land could not be achieved, he said.
Later, at the fag end of immediate past government of Awami League, a delegation of CCCI met the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who gave approval for handing over the additional plot of land for installation of WTC at Agrabad, he added.
CCCI president said " though former Prime Minister verbally
approved the allotment of the additional plot of land at nominal price, the bureaucrats did not translate it into reality after she resigned before parliamentary poll".
"Even when we contacted the concerned departments of the government we did not get proper response. As a result, the total process ran into a trouble,"he said.
"When the new government took over we again started lobbying and the Prime Minister also gave assurance in this regard," he added saying " but it is moving at snail's pace due to red tapism".
He said response was already received from foreign investors who were keen to have financial involvement for construction of the WTC.
"Now we need the allotment of additional plot of land only and then we can go for the construction works," CCCI president said.
The 20 storied world trade centre will have infrastructural facilities of preserving data and information cell, big display centres of exportable goods, five star hotel, banks, insurance etc, he said.
The foreign delegation and investors can have information from his trade centre about the areas of interests and possibilities on global prospects,"he added.
He said after completion of construction, the investors can make
Profit of huge amount by selling the space and giving the five star hotel to any international chain of hotel management.
"We are expecting an economic revolution in Chittagong if transit facilities through Chittagong port are allowed for neighbouring coun-tries,"CCCI president said.